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Is the Chechen 'bogeyman' heading to Syria?

Russia is playing up similarities between its past struggles and Syria’s civil war.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov smiles during a government organised event marking Chechen language day in central Grozny April 25, 2013. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (Russia - Tags: SOCIETY POLITICS RELIGION) - RTXZ5U7

Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov thinks Syria could take a page from Russia’s modern history playbook for resolving conflicts.

Kadyrov met Nov. 15 in Grozny, Chechnya, with Syrian “internal opposition groups." The gathering included members of the Syrian parliament, and political, religious and public figures that make up the National Coordination Committee for the Forces of Democratic Change. Kadyrov, who posted information from the meeting on his Instagram account, said he empathizes with Syrians regarding their country’s crisis and linked it to what Russia has experienced in its recent history.

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